the alchemist literary analysis essay

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Analysis of Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist

By NASRULLAH MAMBROL on October 8, 2022

The most popular novel of the Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho (1947– ), The Alchemist combines philosophical ideas and words of wisdom about ambition, perseverance, and success. Since its publication in 1988, the novel has has sold over 150 million copies worldwide, won 115 international prizes and awards, has been translated into 80 languages, and is still on the New York Times bestseller list today.

The Alchemist narrates the story of a shepherd boy called Santiago who travels with his flock, looking for the best pastures for his sheep in the Andalusian countryside. The conflict arises early in the novel’s plot when Santiago chooses to seek an interpretation of a recent dream and is advised to travel to the pyramids in Egypt and look for a hidden treasure. The novel narrates the mystical experiences of Santiago as he travels from Spain, through the Egyptian desert and on to the great pyramids, seeking the fulfillment of his dream.

Coelho’s novel is almost mythical in structure, with a linear plot and single story line recounted in simple language. The tightly written narrative is not embellished by elaborate characterization, explanations, or historical details, and any detail irrelevant to the main plot is conspicuously absent. The entire emphasis of the novel remains on eternally valid truths, which Coelho attempts to convey through the story. The symbolic elements in the narrative, the universal quality of the protagonist’s experiences, and the message the novel suggests to the reader account for much of T he Alchemist ’s popularity.

The Alchemist underlines an idea or wish that human beings strongly want to believe: If one sincerely desires something, the whole universe conspires to fulfill that dream. Coelho conveys, through the novel, that this sentiment is a lie and that at some point in life people lose the ability to control their lives and become the playthings of fate. He suggests that by listening to one’s heart and by heeding omens and signs, one can control destiny. The strong undercurrent of optimism, which runs through the narrative, is the novel’s greatest charm.

It is notable that in the tale Santiago’s chance encounters with people bring him closer to his aim and motivate him to continue his quest despite his complacence at times. His meeting with the Gypsy fortune- teller in the beginning is followed immediately by a meeting with the old king of Salem, Melchizedek, who is aware of Santiago’s past and future and urges the boy to pursue his vision. An unfortunate experience with a thief in Tangier disheartens the searcher for a time, but his memories of the words of the king guide him to the right course of action. The crystal merchant for whom Santiago works for almost a year prefers to dream of going on a pilgrimage instead of embarking on a journey to Mecca in real life. The crystal merchant’s fear of failure shakes Santiago into resolving to follow his dream.

Santiago later meets an Englishman who harbors the hope of meeting the mysterious alchemist, an Arab who lives at the Al-Fayoum oasis and possesses exceptional powers. Santiago joins the caravan with the En glishman to travel to Egypt, and it is during this journey that the shepherd boy comes to know about the soul of the world, the language of the heart, and the intricacies of the science of alchemy. The shepherd boy’s budding love for an Arabian girl, Fatima, whom he meets during his voyage through the desert, tempts him into giving up his quest for the treasure, but aptly enough Fatima plays the role of a soul mate and coaxes Santiago to continue his difficult expedition. Toward the end of the novel, Santiago’s meeting with the alchemist in the desert helps the young seeker to discover his inner strengths and brings him closer to realizing his destiny.

Omens, signs, dreams, and visions pervade the narrative and act like refrains in this song of the desert. It is only by taking note of these subtle revelations of his subconscious mind that Santiago rises to the alchemist’s expectations and bravely faces all the trials that await him. In The Alchemist, Coelho suggests through Santiago’s tale that it is only by finding and following one’s “personal myth” that one can hope to achieve success, contentment, and happiness. Those who do not have the courage to pursue their deepest desires end up living an empty and doomed life plagued by dissatisfaction and frustration.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Arias, Juan. Paulo Coelho: The Confessions of a Pilgrim. London: HarperCollins, 1999. Coelho, Paulo. Like the Flowing River: Thoughts and Reflections. London: HarperCollins, 2006.

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A Metaphor for Life: “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho Essay (Book Review)

Analysis of the main character, new culture as a significant challenge, coelho’s attitude to the main theme, works cited.

The book The Alchemist can be described as a metaphor for life. It is funny how dreams can mold a person’s life. It is a paradox such that people consider other lifestyles as better than theirs, thereby striving to get that life that belongs to different cultures, through that lives are transformed. The essay on The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho shall analyze the traits of the main characters and critical themes in the novel.

Dreams can be seen as the driving forces behind an individual’s life as they bring about desires that mold an individual’s destiny because through them, then fate ceases to be the determinant of happenings in an individual’s lifetime. Santiago, a young shepherd, the main character in the story The Alchemist, is portrayed by Paulo Coelho as a go-getter to some extent.

As is clear from the summary, he repeatedly gets a dream that haunts him and pushes him to follow it, and thus his expedition in the story; he wants to achieve that dream (Coelho 34). Santiago gets the simple lessons of life of believing in the signs that one gets in life, even if it is just through dreams and following them till he achieves them. The crossing of cultures leads him to following his goals, which he finally achieves.

The boy, Santiago, is driven to search for the hidden treasure in Egypt. The desire makes him cross many countries and even the vast Sahara desert, whereby he meets different characters, both deceitful and truthful, who shape his life. This is similar to the way the young Chinese man and other international students cross the borders to get to Melbourne to study, their treasure in this context, education.

When the young man shows up in the author’s office with scratchy English (Coelho 45), it is evident that there is a bit of transformation from his past self to his present self.

The young Chinese appreciated the author’s message that she had given him the first day he visited her office because she says so. In the same spirit of appreciation, the boy Santiago appreciated the advice given to him in the story, which leads him to acquire the treasure that he set out to look for.

For instance, he gives the older man a share of his sheep, that is, a tenth of his flock and promises to give a tenth of his treasure to the older woman. The Chinese student, on the other hand, brings the tutor a painting of a well embroidered Chinese woman (Coelho 61). This, therefore, gives the importance of appreciating those who help us in our endeavors to acquire our different treasures in life.

Through the harsh experiences that he faces, the boy learns the value of being strong, patient, and persistent, and being a hard-working person. Regardless of the setbacks that he encounters along the way, he does not give up. Just like in Rachael, no potential was seen in her as a nurse. She was discouraged by her tutors that she could not make it as a children’s nurse, but her so many visits to the Occupational Health Department, which convinced the tutors that she was capable of becoming a nurse, saw her through (Coelho 25).

It took a year to convince them and about fifteen visits, and in the long run, she was allowed to take up the career path that she had dreamt of and desired to do. Her desire and persistence to follow her dream made her accomplish her heart desires. Following a dream can sometimes seem too hard and expensive, but the determination in it tells all about the conviction that one has.

The Alchemist book review essay shows that the boy in the story is portrayed by Coelho as humble and a brave character. The king tells him that when he wants something, the world will always conspire to help him achieve it, and now that he wants to get the treasure, then he is going to get it as long as he is ready to face the challenges (Coelho 24).

The challenges he faces in foreign lands can be likened to the challenges faced by those living in the outer suburbs of Melbourne. We are told that the further one lives away from the city, the more harsh life is for them because life there is a bit depressing and that there are little or even no amenities at all. The public transport system is also weak. The kinds of houses that are there are in a sorry state, just like street lights are not in proper functioning conditions.

Fitting into a new culture can be demoralizing more especially after relocation to a new place, but regardless of this, accepting the prevailing conditions in order to achieve one’s heart desires is reason enough to go on, the international students face problems of housing but with perseverance they the can achieve their ultimate goals and desires.

The boy Santiago takes up every opportunity that comes his way, and he swallows through so many problems that he encounters along his path of getting to the treasure. He worked hard towards his destiny because no problem was too big for him to deal with.

We find that dreaming is one thing, and following that dream is another. Rachael had a dream of becoming a nurse, and she felt that she needed to give back to the community and serve the people who had made a significant difference in her life. That is why she really wanted to be a children’s nurse, she was laughed at told on several occasions that it was never going to happen because a nursing course was not suitable for her and that she was fit to a desk job (Coelho 25).

Nevertheless, as is evident from the assessment, her desire to follow her dream was the driving force that led her to achieving it in the long run. Had she given up along the way due to the words of discouragement from even her tutors, she could not have become a voice to reckon to the parents of the sick children that she attended to at the Children’s Out-patient Department (Coelho 25).

In the story, we are also brought to a level ground where freedom to choose what one wants to do should be embraced and given room to drive us. Freedom is the ability for one to do what he or she likes and that entails following one’s heart.

Through this, one is capable of exploiting his or her own potentialities and doing something that is self-fulfilling, if one is made to do something that dictates his or her destiny in a forceful way, then the end results will always be bitter. The boy chooses to travel the world because this is his inner calling other than studying theology and becoming a priest.

He enjoys the life of adventure and traveling to new places. On her part, Rachael could have been forced to do a desk job because of her health, something that she could have done regretfully, thereby ending up a slave in a career path that on the contrary, should have brought her inner peace and happiness. The boy was allowed to follow his heart, which led him later on to acquire his life experiences that are worthwhile, even more than he could have achieved material treasures.Thus, with the help of vast imagery, symbolism, and paradoxes in The Alchemist , the author shows us the full circle of the story.

The challenges faced by adapting to a new culture can sometimes be too much to bear, but how ready is a person to bear with the challenges that come with it? At the same time, it can be hard to make a dream a reality, but how persistent that can one be to catch up with that dream (Coelho 89)? Both parties, therefore, should equip themselves with the communication gear, which most definitely is the vehicle that will enable one to get to his or her destiny.

The individual will get room to express him/herself, thereby appreciating each other as well as compromising with each other’s feelings where possible, that way the joy of learning will have come into play. Once a dream has been hatched, then the determination and persistence that will be employed in making it a reality is what will determine whether it is going to be the destiny of an individual, and that is what brings in the difference between destiny and fate.

Though not sure of his destiny, he strives to get it no matter the challenges, and his life experiences show that everyone needs to work hard to achieve success, one needs to strive for the good things in life. This simply inspires people to put effort in order to achieve our goals, for one to make his or her dreams become a reality, he or she is not just going to sit there and wait for dreams to fall into place, one needs to risk the good things in life in order to achieve better ones (Coelho 100).

As is clear from the essay on The Alchemist, Coelho simply intends to bring to our attention that if one dreams and wishes for something then one should be persistent about it and be patient for long enough, one might lose an opportunity by getting tired at the last minute and give up so quickly, and see the fruits after somebody else has achieved the fruits of our long-suffering. Just like Santiago, one’s wishes can come in both material objects and life experiences, as for the case of Santiago, his journey to the Pyramids in Egypt, is his treasure.

Coelho, Paulo. The Alchemist. New York. Harpertorch. 1993. pp. 1 – 163.

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The Alchemist Characters

Characters make up the main story of a literary work. They convey the author’s ideas, beliefs, and relationships of the world as well as of the human beings around them. Major characters in The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho are interesting and very impactful for the readers due to the depth of meanings they convey through their ideals and dreams . Some of the major characters of the novel have been discussed below.

Characters in The Alchemist

Character #1.

Santigo was born and raised in Andalusia. He is shepherd by profession. By nature, he is curious, stubborn as well as determined to learn new things. H disobeys his parents’ dream of making him a priest and become a shepherd instead to travel countrywide. However, Santiago remains conservative and orthodox in his thinking until he starts dreaming about a hidden treasure. He is encouraged by the dream reader, a gypsy woman, who urges him to visit Egypt. Santiago also meets the king of Salem, Melchizedek, who encourages him to find more about the powers of nature. His teachings help Santiago to fulfill his Personal Legend .

During his journey, Santiago learns about nature and human relations, the power of nature, and the mystical force of the Soul of the World. He also meets the alchemist who teaches him good and bad omens and ways of reading different signs and symbols . Finally, he comes close to the Hand-That-Wrote-All and comes to know that the treasure he is looking for is not in the Egyptian pyramid, but under the church tree, he had left behind.

Character #2

The Crystal Merchant

The crystal merchant teaches Santiago about the Personal Legend. Ironically he had given it up on his Personal Legend. In return, Santiago teaches him tricks of the trade for his crystal business, which makes him a prosperous merchant of Tangier, the desert port. A devoutly religious and orthodox, the crystal merchant also harbors a dream of his pilgrimage to Mecca. However, he has no heart to realize this dream as he fears that it make him poor. Later, the merchant realizes, if he does not muster up the courage to fulfill his dream over his business, he will always be miserable. With Santiago’s guidance, the Crystal Merchant meets someone and gets his Personal Legend.

Character #3

Melchizedek

Melchizedek plays a significant role in the story. He introduces key concepts to Santiago, showing the way to fulfill the visionary dream. He claims to be the king of Salem. His conceptual visions about the Soul of the World and Personal Legends inspire Santiago. He gives two stones, Urim and Thummim, to Santiago, who uses them to know good or bad omens. After displaying magical powers, he convinces Santiago to pursue his dream and go on the expedition to find the treasure in Egypt. Though Melchizedek is not present at some points with Santiago, his teachings and magical stones go with him until the end.

Character #4

The Englishman

The anonymous Englishman appears when Santiago is en route to Egypt. He is a well-educated person with an ambition to become an alchemist. However, he proves somewhat anti-social and prefers reading books instead of interacting with his fellow travelers. He becomes Santiago’s friend because of the similarity in their ambition; they wanted to get after their Personal Legends. The Englishman lacks observation and experience that Santiago has. That is why the alchemist thinks that the Englishman is not really an intellectual.

Character #5

The Alchemist

A very old and mysterious character , The Alchemist, enters when Santiago reaches the Al-Fayoum oasis. He appears arrogant and doesn’t mingle with the people. He meets them if requested in advance. He possesses magical objects to influence his audiences , the alchemist also claims to have Master Work, comprising different formulas such as making of the gold and the Elixir of Life to cure everything. He encourages Santiago to learn through experience instead of reading. He often speaks in a brief language, comprising riddles and anecdotes . As the alchemist has supernatural powers and mystical connection with the Soul of the World, he answers Santiago’s every question.

Character #6

Fatima is a modest, kind and beautiful woman. She lives in the oasis of Al-Fayoum in the desert . She proves her loyalty and love to Santiago by encouraging him to pursue his Personal Legend. She asks him to go to Egypt and finding the treasure. She demonstrates trust, loyalty, and love.

Character #7

The Old Woman

The old woman is a dream reader. Her role spans over the introduction and the conclusion of the novel. By profession, she is a gypsy and fortune teller whose job is to interpret riddles of dreams and guide people. She is a straightforward and simple person. At first, Santiago asks her to interpret his dreams but doubts her abilities. Later, he admits that the gypsies are well-versed people because they experience traveling around the world.

Character #8

The Camel Man

The camel man lives in the desert. He accompanies the caravan and engages in conversation with Santiago about desert life. Though he lived in the desert and gone with various caravans among the war-torn tribal regions, the camel driver’s philosophy hinges on the life in the present moment. He says that “to die one day is no worse than dying on any other.”

Character #9

The chief appears in the novel when Santiago reaches the oasis of the Al-Fayoum. He tells the chief that a war is imminent with an enemy tribe. The old chief arms his tribesmen Santiago’s advice but on the condition that they would kill Santiago if his prediction is false. However, Santiago is right, and the invaders are dealt with firmly.

Character #10

The Young Thief

The young thief speaks Spanish and meets Santiago in Tangier. They meet at a bar where Santiago asks the young man to be his guide. However, the thief flees taking away Santiago’s money.

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The Alchemist

Paulo coelho, everything you need for every book you read..

In the Prologue, the alchemist reads a story about Narcissus —a youth so fascinated by his own beautiful reflection that he falls into a lake and drowns. In this version of the story, the goddess of the forest encounters the lake in which Narcissus drowned. The lake is weeping, and the goddess assumes that the lake misses Narcissus’s beauty. However, the lake reveals that, actually, it’s weeping because it misses being able to admire its own beautiful reflection in Narcissus’s eyes. “What a lovely story,” the alchemist thinks.

In Part One of the novel, Santiago passes the night with his flock of sheep in an abandoned church . That night, he has a recurring dream. When he wakes, he looks forward to the village he will reach in four days where, the year before, he met a girl, the daughter of a merchant . Meeting her made him wish, for the first time in his life, that he could remain in one place. Santiago loves to travel, and became a shepherd, rather than a priest as his family had wanted, because his father told him that, among poor folk, only shepherds had the opportunity to travel.

A few days before reaching the merchant’s daughter’s village, Santiago encounters a fortune-teller , whom he hopes will be able to interpret his recurring dream. In the dream, a child transports Santiago to the Pyramids of Egypt and promises he will find hidden treasure there, but Santiago always wakes up just as the child is about to reveal it. After making Santiago promise to give her one-tenth of the treasure as payment, the fortuneteller interprets the dream to mean that if Santiago journeys to the pyramids, he’ll find hidden treasure.

Annoyed that he could have come to this interpretation on his own, Santiago leaves, and soon sits down in the plaza to read his book. An old man sits down next to him and says that it’s an important book, but that it contains the world’s greatest lie: that we do not control what happens to us. The old man introduces himself as Melchizedek , the King of Salem, and adds that if Santiago gives him one-tenth of this sheep, he will tell Santiago how to find his treasure. Santiago wonders if the old man and the fortune-teller are working together to rob him, but gives up his suspicions when Melchizedek demonstrates knowledge of things about Santiago’s life he couldn’t possibly know. Melchizedek explains that Santiago has discovered his Personal Legend – the thing a person has always wanted to accomplish. Each person knows what it is when he is young, but loses track of it as he ages. Melchizedek says that he appears to people in moments when they are about to give up on their Personal Legends.

The next day, Santiago meets Melchizedek and gives him six sheep. He sells his other sheep to a friend who dreamed of becoming a shepherd. Melchizedek says that to find his treasure, Santiago will have to follow the omens God reveals to him. Melchizedek gives Santiago two stones, called Urim and Thummin , which can be used for fortune telling. But he cautions Santiago also to rely on his own decisions.

Santiago arrives in Morocco, but quickly gets robbed and winds up sleeping in a marketplace. Eventually, Santiago wanders into a crystal shop and asks the crystal merchant for a job in exchange for something to eat. After Santiago cleans crystal all day, the merchant gives him dinner. Santiago is crushed when he learns that he would have to work for years to earn enough money to travel to the Pyramids, but he decides to work for the merchant in order to earn money to buy some sheep.

As Part Two of the novel opens, Santiago is working for the crystal merchant. He wants to build a display case to draw more attention to the store, but the merchant resists. The merchant doesn’t like change, and explains that he has always been an observant Muslim, but has never made a pilgrimage to Mecca. Though he could now, finally, afford the trip, he still puts it off because he fears not having something to look forward to in his future. He doesn’t want to realize his dream; he just wants to dream. But he does give Santiago permission to build the display case.

Business at the shop increases. Santiago is pleased that he is working toward his goal of acquiring an even larger flock of sheep. He has also earned to recognize omens: when he sees a man out of breath after climbing the hill to the shop, he realizes they should sell tea in the crystal they are selling. The merchant knows that this will change the nature of the business, but he feels he cannot resist the inevitable, or as he says “maktub,” meaning “it is written.” He sees Santiago’s appearance in his life as both a blessing and a curse. Santiago saved his business, but also showed him what his business was capable of, meaning he can never again be content with the simple business he had.

Soon Santiago has enough money to buy a large herd of sheep, but before doing so he happens upon Urim and Thummin in his old shepherd’s bag and decides instead to pursue his treasure. He suddenly feels tremendously happy, and finds a caravan crossing the desert. As he waits for the caravan to leave, Santiago meets an Englishman who tells him that there is a universal language understood by everybody. He says he is in search of that language, and hopes to find an alchemist in the desert who can teach him more.

As the caravan travels to the desert oasis of Al-Fayoum, Santiago becomes friends with a camel driver who used to be a farmer before his land was flooded. The camel driver says that disaster taught him to understand that many people are afraid of losing what they have, but this fear is no longer relevant when you understand that human lives were written by the same hand that created the world. He also advises Santiago that if you can concentrate on the present, you'll be happy. Meanwhile, the Englishman tells Santiago of a common principle that connects all things – the Soul of the World – and lends Santiago some books about the Master Work of alchemy: an Emerald Tablet, on which was written the secret to creating the Philosopher’s Stone, which could turn lead into gold, and the Elixir of Life, which granted mortality.

The caravan arrives safely at the oasis, which is the size of a large city. The oasis is neutral in the constant wars of the surrounding tribes, and no one can carry weapons there. Santiago helps the Englishman search for the alchemist, but with little luck. At one point, Santiago approaches a young woman to ask about the alchemist and suddenly he feels the Soul of the World. Immediately he realizes that the universal language is love. He meets with the woman, Fatima , day after day, and tells her of his quest for his treasure and how it has brought him to her. Eventually, Fatima tells Santiago that she has learned about omens from his stories, and that because of this learning she wants Santiago to continue toward his goal and pursue his dream. Fatima says "maktub," and tells Santiago that if they are really meant to be together, then he'll return to her one day.

One day as he walks in the desert, Santiago sees a hawk attack another and has a vision of an army attacking the oasis. Santiago goes to the tribal chieftains of the oasis to warn them. The chieftains respond that the next day the men of the oasis will break the agreement of the oasis and carry arms — if Santiago’s warning proves true he will be rewarded; but if it does not, he will lose his life.

Santiago leaves the chieftains’ tent upset, when suddenly a strange man on horseback confronts him. Santiago embraces the possibility of his own death and is not afraid. The stranger then reveals this was a test of Santiago's courage, which is essential when one wants to understand the Language of the World. Santiago has met the alchemist.

The next day, Santiago’s prophecy is fulfilled and the oasis is attacked, but the inhabitants of the oasis are ready to defend themselves. Santiago receives his reward: fifty pieces of gold. Soon after, the alchemist takes Santiago out into the desert to test whether he can find life in the desert. Santiago allows his horse to lead them, and the find a snake –the alchemist agrees to guide Santiago across the desert. Santiago wants to stay at the oasis because of Fatima, but the alchemist explains that if he stays, he will be haunted by the loss of his opportunity to find his treasure.

As they travel in the desert, the alchemist explains that the Emerald Tablet is a direct link to the Soul of the World. In the early times, everything about the Master Work could be written on the Emerald Tablet. But men rejected simple things. The alchemist directs Santiago back toward this simplicity, and says that Santiago should listen to his heart , because it came from the Soul of the World. Santiago practices listening to his heart, and comes to understand his heart’s changes and contradictions, and that people are afraid to pursue their most important dreams because they know they will suffer if they don’t succeed.

Not long after, Santiago and the alchemist are taken prisoner by one of the warring tribes. Soon they are brought before the enemy chieftain , who thinks that they’re spies. The alchemist responds that Santiago is an alchemist who can turn himself into the wind, and says that if Santiago has not turned himself into the wind in three days time, the chieftain can kill them. The chieftain agrees.

Once they’re alone, Santiago protests that he has no idea how to turn himself into the wind, but the alchemist responds that when a person is living out his Personal Legend, he has all the tools he needs—the only thing that could hold him back is the fear of failure. He adds that if Santiago does not succeed, then at least he’ll die while trying to realize his Personal Legend.

On the first and second days, Santiago is at a loss. On the third day, the enemy chieftain has Santiago go up to a cliff above the enemy camp. Santiago appeals to the desert, the wind, and the sun to help him, but none of them are able. The sun recommends that Santiago speak directly to the “hand that wrote all,” though, and Santiago reaches through the Soul of the World and discovers the Soul of God. He sees the oneness between his own soul and the Soul of God and, because of this oneness, realizes that he has the ability to perform miracles. Santiago turns himself into the wind, creating a terrible windstorm. The tribesmen are terrified, but the alchemist is happy to have found such an ideal student, and the enemy chieftain is pleased to have witnessed the glory of Allah. The next day, Santiago and the alchemist leave the camp with an honor guard.

Eventually they reach a Coptic monastery, where a monk welcomes them inside to rest. While there, the alchemist uses the Philosopher’s Stone to change lead into gold. He gives a quarter of the gold to the monk for his hospitality, a quarter to Santiago to repay him for the amount taken by the enemy chieftain, and quarter for himself. The final quarter he gives to the monk, saying that it is for Santiago if he ever needs it. The alchemist tells Santiago everyone on earth plays an important role, even if he doesn't know it. Then the alchemist bids Santiago farewell.

Santiago rides alone through the desert, listening to his heart, which tells him that he will find his treasure at the place where he is brought to tears. At the top of a dune, Santiago sees the Egyptian pyramids before him. He falls to his knees and cries out in thanks to God for making him follow his Personal Legend. Remembering the words of his heart, Santiago digs in the place he fell to his knees crying.

As he digs, several people approach Santiago. They are desperate refugees from the tribal wars, and they beat Santiago and take the gold given to him by the alchemist. When Santiago tells them he is looking for treasure at that place, the leader of the refugees says he’s being stupid. The leader adds that two years earlier he himself had a recurring dream in which he saw an abandoned church that sheltered shepherds and sheep. The dream told him that if he dug at the roots of the tree growing through the center of the church, he would find a hidden treasure. But he never went in search of the treasure, because it was just a dream. After the refugees have left, Santiago laughs aloud, because now he knows the location of his treasure.

In the Epilogue, Santiago reaches the abandoned church where his story began. He thinks of the strangeness of the path that God has led him on, but is grateful for the people he has met along the way. He soon uncovers a chest of gold and jewels. The wind begins to blow, and it brings with it a familiar scent of perfume. Santiago smiles and says, “I’m coming, Fatima.”

The Alchemist Analysis Essay

Paulo Coelho, author of The Alchemist, defines a personal legend as “… what you have always wanted to accomplish.” He elaborates, stating, “Everyone, when they are young, knows what their Personal Legend is. At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible.”

He continues to explain that the desire to accomplish this personal legend decreases, as people begin to oppose the person’s inclination to succeed. Santiago, the main protagonist, is led through many emotional and physical trials to fulfill his personal legend. Through these physical, mental, and emotional challenges, Santiago proves his adaptability towards unexpected circumstances.

As the story begins, Santiago is introduced as a shepherd from Andalusia, who begins to experience a recurring dream while leading his sheep through the southern towns of Spain: to travel to the Egyptian Pyramids, where he will find a hidden treasure. His adaptability is first defined as he travels to Tarifa., when he meets a woman that reads dreams: requesting one tenth of the treasure he finds in Egypt, a king speaking of the soul of the universe and personal legends: demanding one tenth of Santiago’s flock, and a crystal merchant: whom Santiago teaches to sell tea in his crystal glasses, earning Santiago enough pay to travel to the Pyramids.

The dream interpreter tells Santiago to go to the Pyramids, and the king Melchizedek tells him why – it is his Personal Legend, his destiny, if he lets the universe and its signs guide him. The crystal merchant, however, teaches Santiago to be wary of his trust towards strangers, and gives him the insight and courage to begin his travels towards Egypt. Santiago is forced to adapt to these situations, proving his adaptability, as he is placed in a new environment and surrounded by people who may or may not be looking out for his best interest.

Waiting for the caravan to Al-Fayoum, Santiago meets an Englishman in search of the Alchemist. The Englishman tells Santiago what he’s read: there is an individual language that every living thing speaks, although it is spoken without words, a language of action propelled by emotion: the same lesson Santiago learned from his sheep, and his experiences in Tarifa. Although Santiago does not understand who the Alchemist is, he does understand desire, and he understands that the Englishman is expressing it in his knowledge of alchemy and the universe.

At the caravan site, the Englishman begins to explain to Santiago the importance of knowing that nothing is a coincidence. However, Santiago already knows the lessons the Englishman is attempting to teach him.“The boy knew what he was going to describe, though: the mysterious chain that links one thing to another, the same chain that caused him to become a shepherd, that had caused his recurring dream, that had brought him to a city near Africa, to find a king, and to be robbed in order to meet a crystal merchant.”

The caravan trip shows Santiago more of the universal language. Each person following the caravan is headed towards the same compass point, the same destination, joined by hunger, fear, and yearning: be it for travel, for refuge, or for those they love and miss. If Santiago was not able to adapt to the harsh conditions in the desert, of the caravan trip itself, he would not have reached Al-Fayoum: he would not have reached his treasure. Reaching Al-Fayoum, Santiago meets a woman named Fatima, as well as the Alchemist. His first encounter with the Alchemist shows him that he has been correct to follow the path of his Personal Legend.

Although the information taught to him over his travels is confusing to Santiago, he believes it, and changes his thinking understand more of the world. With his understanding of the universal language, of the signs and signals, Santiago evades death. The Alchemist begins meeting with Santiago, teaching him more about the Soul of the World, saying, “The wise men understood that this natural world is only an image and a copy of paradise. The existence of this world is simply a guarantee that there exists a world that is perfect. God created the world so that, through its visible objects, men could understand his spiritual teachings and the marvels of his wisdom.”

Santiago uses his knowledge to accomplish many feats of physical and mental exertion: leading himself to the Egyptian Pyramids. Upon reaching his long strived-for goal, he discovers another sign, another path, pushing him towards the true destination of his treasure. He fights through each conflict, his passion to accomplish his Personal Legend stronger than his fear of failing. If Santiago hadn’t had an adaptable attitude towards each new situation, he would not have followed the right path to his treasure. His adaptability is the reigning factor in Santiago’s journey, leading him through each stressful and confusing new encounter.

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